In Ryan I Trust
by xSweetiePiex
Summary: The wheels turned in her head. While she didn’t know if she could reach Trey, Ryan was a different story... She knew she could trust him, but isn't a fairytale ending too perfect for someone with that old Atwood luck? Updated after 3 long months!
1. Baby Sister

"Get your f&#ing $$ up right now!" A grisly voice boomed throughout the tattered house in Chino. The paper thin walls echoed fiercely. "Or else I'm gonna come up there myself and get you…"

Emily Atwood opened her eyes with a start. That was the last thing she wanted to happen. If her foster father came up to her room, she knew darn well what would happen. She shuddered. "I'm coming." She wanted to add, "_Please don't come up here," _but she knew that if she said that, he would indeed come to her room. She quickly got out of her bed, which was really just an old cot in the cold attic. As she made her way downstairs, she stole a glance at the dirty mirror next to her bed. Two black eyes and a few small cuts adorned her milky white skin. Sighing, Emily gingerly fixed her hair, unsuccessfully trying to hide the evidence from her latest beating. Her right arm throbbed. Finally, she made her way to the kitchen, where she was greeted with a smack right across her face.

"What took you so long, huh?" Emily's foster father, Tony, spat.

"I'm sorry, sir…" Emily began. She desperately tried to make eye contact with her foster mother, Tony's wife, Lisa.

"You're just lucky we keep you. If it wasn't for us, ugh, you would be treated like the filth you are!" Lisa growled. "Now, finish your chores before you go to school." Too tired to fight anymore, Emily bowed her head slightly and left to clean the kitchen. She only scrubbed the dirty tiled floors until she heard Tony and Lisa leave for work. They'd never notice if she didn't finish her work, they never had before.

Grabbing her backpack, Emily ran the whole way to school. She was late. Making a quick decision that ditching would be better than explaining both her tardiness and her injuries, she headed back home. Nobody would be there, so it was okay. Or so she thought.

Nonchalantly opening the wooden door, Emily stopped. Her mouth wagged open and she couldn't move. Lying on the couch was Tony… well, not just Tony, but Tony with a woman, and it wasn't Lisa. Before Emily could turn and run, she felt a hand grab her by her long dirty blonde hair. She screamed. "See ya later, baby." She heard Tony say to the unknown woman. Figuring she was safe as long as the other woman was there, Emily shivered at her departure.

"Not so fast little lady." Tony grabbed her by her wrists and forced her up the stairs. Emily struggled, but it was no use. At the top of the stairs he pushed her onto her makeshift bed. Unable to make a sound, Emily stopped trying to fight. She knew what would happen now, and frankly, she just wished he would beat her up instead. He pulled her pants off. "Now, you won't tell anyone, will you dear." His words were patronizing. She turned her head as he forced himself onto her. No matter how many times he did this to her, and it had been a few; it still hurt her every time. Inside. Deep inside.

She must have fallen asleep, because when she woke up, she was alone. There was blood on the bed and she didn't know where Tony was. Or Lisa, for that matter. But there was something she did know. And that was that she was not going to take that anymore. Calling the cops? That was out of the question. The police here were just as corrupt as her foster family. But there had to be somebody. Then she remembered. Back to her family. Her real family.

Flashback

Little Emily, about 6 years old, plays quietly with her favorite doll. This doll is special. It's the one she won in her kindergarten raffle, with a porcelain face and blonde curls. The doll her mother spanked her for once because she got the doll's delicate dress dirty. But that didn't stop Emily from playing with it constantly. Her 8-year-old brother Ryan watches cartoons on the small television in the middle of the room. Quickly losing interest in the doll, Emily begins to whine about watching _My Little Pony_ instead. Ryan argues with her until a gruff looking man enters from the kitchen. He grabs Emily's doll and throws it on the floor, causing it to shatter into millions of pieces. Immediately Emily runs to collect the remnants of her favorite toy. She begins to cry. More annoyed than ever, the man removes his belt, presumably to hit Emily with. Ryan blocks her, and in effect, gets the brunt of a harsh beating.

End Flashback

Okay, she thought to herself. My real family isn't that great. My dad's in prison. I don't know where my mom is. She thought back. It took some effort, trying to remember, at least, trying not to block it all out. Her dad was in prison. Her mom went through a string of abusive, drug-addicted boyfriends. But things were okay, at least until her two brothers stole a car. That's when things became complicated. Her oldest brother, Trey, was in prison. And her mom kicked Ryan out. Then her mom took off. Emily sat there, remembering when her mom made her leave, even though neither of them knew where Ryan was. "I left him a note" was all that she said. Foster care took custody of Emily soon after that. Emily hadn't heard from her mom since, or her brothers, for that matter.

Her brothers…. The wheels turned in her head. While she didn't know if she could reach Trey, Ryan was a different story. She didn't know where he was. But, she knew who would know. Picking up the phone, she dialed a number she knew well.

"Hello?" A woman answered.

"Um… is Theresa there?" Emily spoke softly.

"Yes… hold on" The line went silent until Emily heard the familiar voice.

"Hey sweetie!" Theresa exclaimed. "What can I do for you?"

"Um… do you have Ryan's number?"

"Yeah, hold on. His cell is #555-2983. Anything else I can do for you?" Theresa sounded concerned. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. But I gotta go. Thanks so much."

"No problem. You can call me anytime. You know that."

"Yeah, ok, well bye." Emily hung up the phone. She didn't know how much time she had until one of her foster parents came home. She was so scared. Dialing his number, she heard the voice of her big brother.

"Hello?" Ryan answered, sounding a little confused. He didn't know the number on his caller ID.

"Ryan?" The quiver in her voice overshadowed Emily's eagerness.

"Who is this?" Genuinely confused by the mysterious caller, Ryan's tone was serious. Seth, noticing his foster brother's puzzled look, sat next to him on the Cohen family couch. Emily didn't know what to do. She just started sobbing. "Hello? Are you okay?" Ryan began to panic. Who was this?

"Ry… It's Emily…"

"Emily? Emmy? What's wrong?" He hadn't talked to his baby sister since he moved into the Cohens. He had convinced himself that she was okay, "safe and sound" with his mom, if that was even possible. Now, he knew that she wasn't.

"Ryan… he … he … rap-, he raped me." The words were hard to say. They were even harder to hear. Emily immediately felt dirty, used, and intensely embarrassed. Raped. The word sounded almost foreign. It had been going on for a while, but giving it a name made it so much more… real.

"Who did?" Ryan coaxed, breaking her stream of racing thoughts.

"Please… I need you to come get me. Please."

"I'll be there as soon as I can… where are you?" After getting the address, Ryan grabbed the car keys. He paused for only a second remembering the lecture he got the night before and his punishment not to leave the house after school for a week because he stayed out all night last weekend with Marissa. Grabbing the keys anyway, he made a mental note to talk to Sandy. He'd understand, right? Hanging up the phone, he mumbled something to Seth and took off towards the place he never thought he'd have to see again.


	2. Saving Emily

**Sorry I didn't get to put any introduction to the first part! This is my first O.C. fanfiction! I really hope you guys like it! This is basically a piece about Ryan's little sister, Emily. I realize this is a pretty common storyline, but I have some surprises in store, I promise!**

**I've rated this T for abuse, references to rape, language, etc. But nothing too explicit. I even edit my own language for you.**

**I don't own The O.C. or any characters, except for Emily of course! I'm not making profit off of this or anything of the sort. Oh, and this is taking place in Season 3, the current season. In this chapter I mention that Emily is 15 years old, meaning she would've been 12/13-ish when Ryan left. Thanks for all the reviews! I love to hear comments/critiques/etc they are always welcome!**

Ch. 2

Ryan's crystal blue eyes were foggy as they focused on the road. Thoughts raced through his head. "This is all my fault." He mentally chastised himself. "If I'd never left, never got arrested, never moved in with the Cohens… maybe she'd be okay." His cheeks flushed with anger. "What kind of sick man would do this to an innocent kid?" He didn't even know the details, but he knew enough. He knew that his sister must have been pretty messed up. She was tough. Everyone in Chino was. You had to be. If she had called him – or anyone – she must have really been hurt. His heart broke at this thought.

The road seemed to drag on for miles. A few times he found himself going a little too much over the speed limit and forced himself to ease up on the gas pedal. The last thing he needed was a speeding ticket. Ryan's eyes veered off the road as he watched the beauty and serenity of Newport Beach slowly fade into the lackluster, dismal town he knew so well. The streets were ominously gray. All the buildings faded together, but Ryan soon found the street Emily had given as her address. Pulling in front of the beat-up building, he took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He clenched his fists and bit his lower lip until he tasted a trickle of blood. Slowly getting out of the car, he approached the door.

Ryan reached out his hand to knock, but paused midair. He turned around and didn't see any other cars in the driveway. He checked to see if the door was open, and it was. Opening the door slowly, he was greeted with the pungent smell of a house that hadn't been cleaned in far too long. He saw a pink backpack lying on the ground by the door, which probably belonged to his sister.

"Emily!" He yelled. He had no idea where she was, and had no intention of wasting time by looking. "Emily!" He paused. "Em! It's me. It's Ryan."

Emily heard the voice of her older brother. She felt too weak to do anything but moan quietly. Gathering up the last bit of her strength, she managed to scream. "I'm up here!"

Frantically, Ryan ran through the house. He finally saw a set of stairs and ran up them two at a time. What he saw stopped him dead in his tracks. Over the years he had been with the Cohens, Emily had transformed from barely a teenager into a young adult. But that was the last thing on his mind. What really got him was the fear in her bruised eyes and the cuts on her face. The bloody bed sheets and her torn clothes didn't help much, either. He rushed over to her.

"Emily…" He started. "Oh, my God…" Ryan reached out his arms to envelope her in a brotherly embrace, and was shocked when she flinched and pulled away from his touch.

"I'm sorry…" Emily started. She didn't know why she was so afraid of her own big brother. Ryan would never hurt her… and she knew that.

"Come on, we're going to the hospital." Ryan started.

"No!" Emily shrieked. "I don't want to go there. Please. You can't make me."

As she was arguing with him, they heard a noise downstairs. Ryan motioned for her to be quiet. Her eyes widened in fear.

"Is there another way out of here?" Ryan whispered. Emily shook her head sadly. She knew who was downstairs. It was **_him_**. She started to shake and Ryan put his arm around her waist. This time, she didn't recoil from him. "Come on, we're going to get out of here." Ryan had a plan.

Peeking out from the top of the stairs, Ryan noticed Tony eating in the kitchen. "Perfect." He thought. He walked down the stairs first, and planned on blocking Tony's view of Emily as she ran out to Ryan's car. Ryan got down the stairs just fine, but Emily, still very unstable on her feet, lost her balance and came tumbling down the stairs.

Tony may have been practically plastered, but he wasn't drunk enough yet to miss this. "What the ---- do you think you're doing? And who? What the ---- are you?" Tony's words slurred together. Ryan didn't answer him. Now, he was helping Emily up and keeping her stably standing up.

Tony stumbled towards the Atwood siblings as Ryan gently pushed Emily towards the door. She had his keys and he hoped she would make it to the car okay. He knew what would happen next. Tony pulled his arm back, as to hit Ryan, but Ryan sank him with a left hook. The alcohol must have been really working now because mumbling, Tony just backed off. "I don't care what you do with her. She's worthless to me anyway." His words slurred together beyond recognition and Ryan saw this as an opportune moment to run. He found Emily crying softly in the passenger seat of the Rover. The car looked so out of place in Chino. But that didn't matter. All that mattered was having his baby sister back.

He climbed in the driver's seat. "You okay?" Ryan asked. He knew the answer before she said it. Of course, she wasn't.

"I'm fine." Emily responded. Ryan knew that he had to take her to the hospital. It was his duty, as her brother, to protect her. He slipped up on the job, so to speak, and now he had to make it up to her.

"You know, I'm still taking you to the hospital." Ryan told her. Emily just gave him that glare he was so famous for himself. Looking into her identical crystal blue eyes, he knew he was in way over his head.

Back in Newport Beach, Sandy & Kirsten had returned home from a long day at work to find Ryan missing.

"Where's Ryan?" Sandy asked Seth.

"I don't know." Seth answered curtly. He was in the middle of a very intriguing ninja video game.

Kirsten walked over and shut off the TV while Seth was in mid-battle with the ninja warlord. Seth started to pout. "Hey, I was playing that! That's my highest score since…"

"Ryan. Where is he?" Kirsten interrupted. This was so unlike Ryan, just taking off without leaving a note. Especially when he was supposed to be grounded.

"Seth Ezekiel!" Sandy raised his voice. Sandy rarely raised his voice, but this was important. Sometimes, Ryan just confused Sandy to no end. They had an understanding. Ryan was supposed to be grounded. They would have to have a serious talk about this when they found him. Assuming he was okay. Sandy hoped to God he was okay. He said a quick prayer that he was.

"Look I don't know." Seth began. "Honestly… but, I do know this. He got a phone call, like a few hours ago. He sounded upset. He mumbled something and just left."

"Oh, my God…" The ring of his cell phone interrupted Sandy's thoughts. "Hello?" Sandy spoke into the receiver.

"Sandy?" Thank God, it was Ryan.

"Are you alright, kid?" Sandy held his breath for the answer.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Look, I know I left today and I'm sorry…"

"It's okay. As long as you're okay, we can talk later." Sandy interrupted.

"No, I mean. **_I'm_** okay, but see, I'm at the hospital right now…"

"What!" The tone of Sandy's voice alerted his wife and son, who rushed to his side, trying to hear what Ryan was saying.

"It's my sister…" Ryan started. His sister? Sandy didn't even know he had a sister. "She was…" he paused. What was he supposed to say? Raped? "Um… attacked. She called me… I came to get her. Look, I don't know what to do Sandy."

"Which hospital are you at?"

"The one here in Newport. I probably should've brought her to the one in Chino, but I didn't know how safe it would be. It probably would've been cheaper…"

"That's the last thing I want you to worry about. I'll be right there. Stay put, okay?"

"Okay… and Sandy?" Ryan's voice was raw with emotion.

"Yeah?" He replied, a thousand thoughts racing through his head.

"Thanks." Smiling, Sandy closed his phone and left for the hospital.

**Please Review! Thanks bunches!**


	3. Burger King or McDonalds?

**Hey everyone! Thanks so much for reading & reviewing! Please keep it up! Hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

Ch. 3

Kirsten Cohen paced nervously around the kitchen. First, she returns to find Ryan missing. Then the strange phone call. And the barely audible words her husband mumbled on his way out of the house, saying something along the lines of, "Ryan's sister's at the hospital. Be back soon."

Sensing his mom's uneasiness, Seth tried to help, "Look, I'm sure everything's okay. I mean, dad can handle anything," Seth paused, his eyes meeting and locking with his mother's. "Right?"

Kirsten wasn't that easily convinced, "Of course he can." It was not hard to tell that she didn't believe it.

"You know, mom, I'm not exactly…well, what you would call, an emotional guy. Wait, I mean, well, you know what I mean. I don't like to show um… feelings… and stuff…" Seth began to ramble.

"Seth!" Kirsten stopped his incessant speech.

"Yes, well, I just mean, I'm here for you. And… And everything's gonna be fine. I mean, Ryan's okay. At least, dad would've said something if he wasn't." Seth had a point. Kirsten pulled him into a slightly awkward hug. A smile tugged at her lips. She really loved her son. No, _sons_. She really loved her _sons_. Both of them… and one was at the hospital right now.

Even though he knew Ryan was okay, Sandy was still worried about him. His stomach was tied in nauseating knots at the thought of how just last weekend they had a little "talk", and Sandy grounded him for sneaking out with Marissa. The thought that this kid could have really been hurt and the last real conversation they would have had together would have been Sandy punishing him truly got to him. They really hadn't had much time to talk after that, and Sandy had a feeling that Ryan was trying to avoid him. They would have to figure that out. Together. As soon as Sandy knew he was safe and sound.

And a sister? Sure, Sandy knew about Ryan's brother, but a sister? He had been with the Cohens for over two years, and he never mentioned her.

His thoughts were cut short as he pulled into the Emergency Room parking lot of the hospital. Sandy jogged to the entrance and had no problem finding Ryan. He was sitting near the door, looking tired and worried, next to a girl who looked to be around 14 or 15. Even though she was hunched over, Sandy could tell she was thin, a little too thin, like she probably hadn't been eating right, and she sat in a chair that seemed to swallow her whole. Practically out of breath, Sandy found his way to the pair, and when he got there, he noticed the girl's tattered clothing, along with the cuts, bruises, and blood. Sandy groaned inwardly. He had dealt with these types of situations working in the PD office. And it wasn't pretty.

"Hey, Sandy, thanks for coming." Ryan greeted the older man.

"No problem. Have you signed in yet? Talked to a doctor or nurse?" Sandy asked gently.

"I was just going to wait for you." Ryan replied, slightly ashamed.

"That was probably a good idea. Okay, then let's head off to the front desk." Ryan nodded in agreement. Sandy noticed that the girl, Ryan's sister, had not said anything yet.

Ryan noticed this, too, and quickly said, "Sandy – this is my little sister, Emily. Emily, this is Sandy." Emily smiled meekly. Sandy extended his hand and she cautiously reached out her own hand and gave it a shake. Ryan continued, " He's um… he's my foster father."

If Sandy had wondered why Ryan paused before saying "foster father," it was unnecessary because as soon as he said those words, Emily's whole demeanor changed. She dropped her head and broke all eye contact she had had with Sandy.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Sandy pressed on.

"Yeah, same here…" Emily's voice was barely discernible. Thankfully, the conversation did not ensue much longer, as they were nearing the front of the emergency room.

"Hi, can I help you?" A perky blonde woman asked Sandy as he approached the desk.

"Yes, thanks. She was…"

"Raped." Ryan's words interrupted Sandy's mid-sentence. Sandy turned and locked eyes with his foster son. Ryan nodded gently, and it seemed like there was a silent conversation going on between Sandy and Ryan. The word seemed to stain the air, and Emily began to sob quietly. Ryan slipped a protective arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the woman at the desk broke the silence.

"Okay. Have you contacted the authorities about the… attack?" The woman asked gently.

"Not yet," Sandy replied and let his eyes wander to Ryan. _Why hadn't Ryan mentioned this on the phone? Sandy could've called the police. He could've done more._

"Would you like us to call them while we start on the rape kit?" The woman continued.

"Yes, that would be fine." Sandy answered, without even considering the possibility that Emily would not want this.

Emily tensed up the moment she heard _rape kit_. "Ryan, please. I don't want to do this. I can't report this. You never said I'd have to!"

"Look, you have to." The words replayed in his head _"I don't care what you do with her. She's worthless to me anyway" _"Emmy… if we don't report this, then he'll do it again. And again. And now, he'll never hurt you ever again."

"It's not like it's never happened before!" Emily started fiercely. "I don't know why I even came here with you. It's not like I'm not 'tough enough' to handle it! Oh, I can handle it! In fact, this is all my fault, because I'm not smart enough, or good enough… and I don't listen…" Her words turned into a mumbled sob as she backed up until she hit the wall. "And you can't tell me any different… I'm 'worthless'. I don't even know why you'd come get me, you can't care about me."

"Of course I do." Ryan approached her. "And you are not worthless, Emily. I want you to listen to me, okay?" She nodded, completely drained from her outburst. "We're gonna do this. Together. And it's gonna be okay. I promise." Emily didn't know what to believe. But she did want someone to hold her. Ryan approached her cautiously, and kissed her gently on the top of the head. "We're gonna be okay, kiddo. I promise."

Sandy merely watched in awe. His heart went out to both of them. But ultimately, he felt so powerless. Emily was so terrified of Sandy that it broke his heart. What terrible things had this kid been through that she associated "father" with fear and pain? Probably much of what Ryan had been through. The thought of Ryan in a situation like this, scared and hurt, and completely alone, was utterly depressing. No kid should have to go through this.

"Sir?" the same woman from before asked.

"Yes?" It must have been a few minutes since they had spoken because the police had arrived. The woman walked over to where Ryan and Emily were standing.

"Sweetie, we're ready for you. Come on into Room 101 with me." Emily quickly gave her brother a hug before following the woman into a cold, sterile hospital room. Ryan walked over to Sandy, who was talking to the police.

"Sir? I have a few questions for you." The officer, Detective Cole, said. Sandy merely nodded. "Okay, what is the name of the victim?"

Sandy looked blankly at the officer, before Ryan jumped in, "Emily Atwood."

"Excuse me, you are?"

"Ryan. Ryan Atwood. Emily's brother."

"Hello, My. Atwood. I'm Detective Cole and I'll be working your sister's case." The detective introduced himself.

"Mr. Cohen, how are you related to Ryan?"

"Ryan is my son." Sandy replied. _Son. He said son._ Ryan noticed this too and gave a meek smile at Sandy, who placed a supporting hand on Ryan's shoulder.

"Son?" The detective was confused.

"Yes, he is my foster son." Sandy hated that term… it was so… cold and distant, almost.

"Okay." The detective wrote something in his notepad. "Now, our files say that Emily Atwood is currently in foster care. Her guardians are Tony and Lisa Browne…"

Ryan spaced out for a moment, his eyes growing very dark at the mention of Emily's foster father, Tony. "Ryan?" Sandy asked, pulling him out of his deepest thoughts.

"Oh, sorry…" Suddenly embarrassed, Ryan continued. "She called me. Emily did. She said she was…raped."

"So then what happened?"

"I went to the address she gave me. She was in a cot in the attic. She didn't want me to take her to the hospital. Uh, we heard a noise downstairs. It was Tony. He was drunk. He was the one who… who raped her… I got her out of the house and drove her here." The story was so painful to think about, and Ryan cringed. He glanced up at Sandy, who met his gaze.

"Okay, thank you very much." Detective Cole replied. "If you think of anything else, call me." He handed Ryan a business card, much like the one Sandy had given him years ago. The memory made him relax a little.

"Detective Cole?" Sandy asked. The detective signaled to Mr. Cohen to continue, but he took his time, being careful how he worded this next part. "Emily… she's not going back to the Browne's."

"Well, if we can place her in an emergency foster home for the first few nights, that would be ideal, or, if not, she'll go to a group home or a shelter until her trial is over." Group homes. Ryan shuddered at the thought.

"Unless you can find someone to take custody of her, right?" Sandy asked. Ryan could see where this was going and he gave Sandy a small smile.

"I suppose so…" Detective Cole continued.

"That's great news! I was hoping that we, my wife and I, could take custody of her." Sandy replied confidently.

"Really? That's great." Detective Cole started. "It's always best with these kids when they can have real parents." Sandy smiled to himself. He yawned. It was getting late. "Ya know what? I think it'll be okay if you take her home with you tonight, just make sure to come down to the station and we'll get the forms for you and interview Emily, okay?"

"Sure." Sandy replied.

"Well, I'm going to go check on the rape kit, have my partner vouch for it, and I'll see you tomorrow." Detective Cole gave Sandy a business card also before turning and meeting up with another officer. Silence fell as the reality of the whole day sank in.

Surprisingly, Ryan broke the silence, "Sandy, you didn't have to do this…"

"I know. I didn't do it because I had to. Family helps each other out. And she's family." Sandy answered, his voice level.

"Thanks."

"Ryan…" Sandy started. This was something that bothered him since he first heard about Emily. "Why didn't you call me when your sister called you?"

Ryan was surprised at this question. It was not what he expected. His eyes met Sandy's for a moment, and then he lowered them. "I, uh, I …" He paused, trying to formulate words. He couldn't tell Sandy the truth.

"You know you can trust me. You know I'm always going to be there for you. So is Kirsten… and Seth, too. We love you. Ryan, you do know that, right?"

"Yeah, it's just…."

"Just what?" Sandy didn't like to push him, but he needed to know what was going on inside this kid's head. Their relationship had been strained recently, and he knew they needed to be united to get through this. This was important.

"I know how she feels"

"Who?"

"Emily…. I know how Emily feels. Or felt. I knew how she was going to react when I showed up."

Sandy was confused. "What do you mean?"

"I know what it feels like when someone beats the crap out of you. You feel terrible. And scared shtless…" Sandy reached out to pat his back and was hurt when he flinched slightly. "Emily trusts me…but she wouldn't know who you were. If I had come with anyone, especially a man, there would have been no way I could have gotten her to the hospital. Look, Sandy, I'm sorry that I didn't call you. I was just afraid you'd insist on coming. But, you're right, I should've called."

Sandy was stunned. He knew that Ryan had been abused. He had read his file. But somehow, listening to Ryan talk about getting beat up, Sandy felt his heart break all over again. Sandy had never seen Ryan so vulnerable. "It's okay, kid. I understand." He replied, even though they both knew he could never fully understand.

The rape kit had just finished, and Emily walked into the waiting area donning a flimsy hospital gown, escorted by the same woman from the front desk earlier. "She's all done. I trust you've spoken to the police?"

"Yes, of course." Sandy answered.

"Then she's free to go." The woman replied, and then left the three of them alone. Ryan pulled off his hoodie and wrapped it around his sister. The nurse had to take her clothes to put into evidence, and she shivered in the hospital gown.

"Emily, are you ready to go?" Sandy asked. Emily nodded. They walked out of the emergency room and Sandy pulled up with the car. As soon as they were inside, Sandy asked, "Are you guys hungry?"

"Yeah." Ryan replied. "I'm starved."

Sandy glanced in the rearview mirror. Emily was huddled in the farthest corner of the car. "What about you?"

"I'm fine." Emily answered. The last thing she wanted to do was become an burden. The nurse had told her that Mr. Cohen and his wife were taking custody of her, and she was really happy that she could be with her brother. But, she didn't want them to do anything out of the way for her. She also didn't want to be a nuisance… that's why she was always beaten up so much. She was such a pest sometimes.

"Are you sure?" Sandy asked. He didn't want to be too pushy, not at first, anyway.

"When was the last time you ate?" Obviously, Ryan wasn't worried about being too forward.

"I don't know." Ryan gave her a death stare. "Day before yesterday…"

"Ok, that settles it. Burger King or McDonald's?"

**Please tell me what you think! Even if it's good/bad/comments/critique/anything ... I want to know! Hope you guys like it so far! & remember... Review! I seriously appreciate it so much! **


	4. It's A Girl

**Here's the next part... Chapter 4. Please read & review if you can... it's greatly appreciated! Happy Reading!**

Ch. 4

Sandy took a deep breath, realizing how difficult this was going to be, taking in another kid. But this wasn't just another kid; this was Ryan's _sister_, which meant they were going to have to try their best. As soon as the trio had left the hospital parking lot, Sandy swerved the car into the outermost lane and pulled into the nearest fast food joint for some burgers and fries.

"So, what's it going to be?" Sandy was using his mock-serious tone.

Ryan turned around towards Emily and asked, "Cheeseburger and fries, right?" A smile unfolded on Emily's face.

"You remembered!" It was the first time Sandy heard Emily laugh all day.

Turning back to Sandy, he continued, "Should we bring something back for Kirsten and Seth?" The kid's concern for his family was commendable. Ryan was always thinking of others before himself, and Sandy had to admit that it was something that he was extremely proud of… and also a little nervous about because it tended to get him in trouble.

"I'll give them a call." Sandy replied. Picking up his cell phone, he dialed his home phone number. The phone barely rang, when Seth darted to the receiver and snatched it up.

"Hello?" Seth answered, slightly out of breath. Sandy heard a frantic Kirsten in the background.

"Hey, Seth." Sandy answered his son.

"Dad, where are you? It's getting late."

"Is your mom there? Can I talk to her?"

"Hold on." Seth sighed, handing the phone to his mom.

"Sandy, sweetie?" Kirsten sounded relieved to be on the phone with him. "What's going on?"

Taking one last glance at Emily in the backseat, he cautiously continued. "Ya know what? We should probably talk about this later…"

"No, I think we should talk about this now!" Kirsten interrupted him.

"Trust me on this one…" Sandy started, and then decided that he should explain a little bit because his wife was probably very worried about everything. "Okay, well I've got Ryan and Emily right now and we're on our way home. We stopped to grab some burgers, do you two want some?"

"Emily…. Who's Emily? Is that Ryan's sister?" Kirsten was lost.

"Yeah." Sandy replied.

Kirsten paused, not knowing if she should press on or just wait until her husband came home. Sandy heard her ask Seth if he'd like a burger.

"Dad? Yeah, I want a double cheeseburger; hold the onions, lettuce, ketchup, mayo, mustard, with extra relish, and extra cheese. Okay? Got that?" Seth talked about a mile a minute.

Sandy nodded, "We'll be home soon." Sandy closed his cell phone and placed it gingerly in his pocket. "Okay, guys, let's go." Sandy pulled out of his parking place and headed towards the drive-through.

The car filled with the smell of cheeseburgers and French fries. Emily soon drifted off into a peaceful sleep for the first time in what seemed like ages. When she woke up, she was in front of an exceptionally large, beautiful house. She took in a deep breath, but immediately regretted it as a piercing pain pulsated in her lower left ribcage.

Amused at the look on Emily's face of wonderment and awe, Ryan announced, "You're not in Chino, anymore." His voice mimicked Dorothy in _The Wizard of Oz._Emily smiled up at him, slightly embarrassed that he noticed her reaction to the house.

Sandy opened the backseat door for the young girl and she climbed out. Seeming a bit unsteady on her feet, Emily reached out a hand towards the car to gain back some equilibrium. Concern was heavy in Sandy's eyes. He reached out to help her, but she pulled away.

"I'm fine…really." She wasn't too convincing. Ryan walked over to her side of the car and followed behind her the whole way in, using one hand to hold the fast-food bags, and the other as a protective barrier around his sister in case she happened to lose her balance again.

Sandy approached the door, but before he had the chance to open it, Kirsten appeared. She reached out and enveloped him in a hug and gave him a kiss.

"Ewwww…guys, can't you keep it in the bedroom?" Seth chimed in, not far behind his mother. Sandy gestured that they all come inside and led the group to the kitchen. Ryan placed the paper bag on the table and went over to the cabinet to grab some plates. Emily hesitated, and then stood in the farthest corner. Seth could barely keep his curiosity in check. Ryan looked at Sandy uncomfortably.

"Kirsten, Seth this is Emily. Emily, this is my lovely wife, Kirsten, and our son, Seth."

"Hello. It's a pleasure to meet you." Kirsten approached the girl and gave her a genuinely pleased handshake. Emily just gave a weak smile in reciprocation.

"Hey, there." Seth walked closer to Ryan's sister. She gave him a genuine smile, but still didn't say a word. "Looks like she's just about as talkative as you are, Ryan."

"Seth…" Sandy broke in before Ryan could say anything back. Emily shifted uncomfortably.

That didn't stop Seth, who walked up behind Ryan and added, "With all this noise level, I may need to get earplugs." Emily heard this too, as Seth wasn't that great at being quiet, and Emily laughed a bit. Sandy glared at Seth, who simply stated, "At least _someone _here appreciates my humor. Thank you, Emily."

"No problem." Emily answered, barely above a whisper.

"Don't encourage him, Em," Ryan shot her a mock-angry glare. Emily rolled her eyes at him.

Kirsten took the burgers out of the bag and systematically handed them out to the three hungry teens in front of her. Emily bit her lower lip a little and swallowed the lump forming in her throat. She took a bite of the cheeseburger, and then placed it back on her plate.

Clearing her throat, she started, "Mr. Cohen?"

"Yes?" Sandy answered. Hearing Emily talking to him was a relief. He was afraid that she was going to avoid talking to him forever.

"Thanks." Emily stated simply.

"Oh, it was no problem."

"No, really. For coming to the hospital… and dinner and everything… and Mrs. Cohen…thanks for everything, as well." She finished. She didn't want the Cohens to think she was ungrateful for what they had done for her already. Ryan nodded at the girl. She took a few more bites of her cheeseburger and then picked up some fries. Taking a quick drink of her soda, she realized how tired she was.

"Tired?" Ryan asked her.

"I guess a little," She yawned. "Maybe a lot." She laughed.

Sandy turned to the boys, "Why don't you two get Emily settled in the pool house. Ryan, I was thinking you two could stay there tonight and we can get things figured out in the morning, okay?"

"That's fine." Ryan answered.

"Manual labor? I've only had half of my cheeseburger, which by the way, I could taste trace evidence of mustard and ketchup! What is happening with the fast-food workers of America! Seriously, dad…"

"Seth. Go. Now."

"Or, I could do that… Come on, Emily, I shall show you the pool house de Cohens."

The three teens left the kitchen and left Sandy and Kirsten sitting at the table.

"Ya know, Emily seems like a great kid. And she looks so much like Ryan! The blue eyes, dirty blonde hair…" Kirsten started.

"I'm glad you like her." Sandy paused. "Because, I'd normally never do this without you, but I went out and had a baby…"

"What?" Kirsten was genuinely confused.

Sandy placed his hands on top of his wife's. "Kirsten Cohen… you just met the newest addition to our family."

"We're her legal guardians now?"

"If that's okay, of course. But before you answer… you should have seen her in the hospital. She was terrified. And this whole time the only moments she has felt safe was when she was with Ryan. I just couldn't say no. They were going to send her to a group home, a _group home_."

Kirsten remembered that Ryan had run away to avoid foster care and group homes. She didn't know much about them, except that they must not be too pleasant.

"And… she was raped…"

"Raped?" Kirsten was shocked. "What do you mean, raped?"

"That's why she was at the hospital." Kirsten almost looked hurt, so Sandy quickly finished, "Ryan didn't tell me until I got there. You know, she's going to need love and support…"

Kirsten appeared to have completely changed her mind about the girl. "And we can give it to her. Together, with the boys. It'll work."

"Now who's the self-righteous one?" Sandy mocked playfully.

Kirsten hit him gently with the dishtowel.

"Honey?" Sandy started, wrapping her up in a hug. "It's a girl!"


	5. You Can Run

**Here's the next chapter! Enjoy! I've edited out Seth's line. I realize how serious rape is… and I didn't mean to be offensive. I wrote this pretty late last night and I guess I didn't catch it when I made my final edit! Sorry! I hope you all will still want to read my story… because if no one does, just tell me and I'll stop writing.**

Emily followed her brother and Seth into the pool house and sat cautiously on Ryan's bed. Seth plopped down next to her and Ryan walked over to an armoire and pulled out a pair of sweatpants and oversized t-shirt. He knew it would probably be huge on her, but it would have to do for now.

"Here, you can wear these." Ryan tossed the clothes to his sister and she seemed relieved. "I'll go get the air mattress and you can take the bed."

Emily's eyes drifted up from the floor until they locked with her brother's. "No, it's okay. I'll sleep on the floor." She paused, and then added quietly, "I'll be fine wherever."

Ryan protested, "I know, but _I'll_ be happier if you just sleep on the bed… Emmy? Please?" He didn't want to fight with her, especially over a place to sleep.

Emily nodded. "Fine." Ryan noticed she seemed like she wanted to say something. Before he could ask, she continued, "Do you think it would be okay… if I, um… took a shower or something?"

"Um… yeah. They're done collecting evidence. The bathroom is right around the corner." He escorted her to a small room on the left side of the hall and grabbed some blue towels from the linen closet on his way.

Emily turned on the hot water in the shower. Before stepping in, she caught a glimpse of her profile in the bathroom mirror and her reflection made her flinch slightly. She noticed her concaving abdomen and sunken cheeks, along with the bruises and lacerations along her face, chest, and even her thighs. A silent tear ran down her cheek. _"I'm filthy!"_ She thought in disgust. Quickly, she jumped into the shower and allowed the hot water to run over her entire body. She desperately tried to wash away the feelings of guilt and disgust. _"He was inside me! I'm nothing but a piece of worthless garbage… he was right all along."_ The almost-scalding water took away the salty burn of her tears.

Meanwhile, Ryan and Seth had gotten the air mattress from Sandy. "So, you're sister's here. That's cool." Ryan glanced at Seth. "I mean, it is, isn't it?"

"Yeah, of course, it's just…" Ryan tried to formulate the words, but nothing was coming.

"Just what?"

"She was… raped, Seth."

"What?" Seth was not expected that kind of news. "Raped? As in, r-r-raped…?" The words were hard to say. This wasn't something that happened in Seth's "perfect" Newport world. His eyes were wide.

Ryan was deflated. Wordlessly, he nodded. He felt the same way Seth did. He knew that life wasn't at all "perfect," but this wasn't supposed to happen to _his_ sister. Not Emily. She didn't deserve this. No one did. "Yeah…" Ryan's voice trailed off. As hard as it was for him to say it, he knew it would be a million times harder for Emily to deal with it.

"Who did it?" Seth could barely find the words to speak.

"Her foster father…" Ryan trailed off. Seth gave him a surprised look. Seth was so naïve, Ryan thought.

"Oh, my god…" Seth started. "Poor Emily." Ryan just nodded. He was completely silent for a moment, which was new for Seth. Then he continued. "But, ya know what? I've always wanted a little sister. And hey, I could write her into my comics… she could be 'Baby Chino' or maybe 'Chin-a' which would just be 'China' like the country!"

Ryan tried hard to hold back a smile. Sometimes, Seth had the ability to take a bad situation and turn it around, even for just a little while.

Emily stepped out of the shower and the mirrors were all fogged up. She was happy for that momentary lapse of any physical representation and wrapped herself up in the towel, shivering in the cold bathroom. Emily pulled on Ryan's sweatpants and they hung low on her protruding hipbones. The oversized t-shirt hung practically below her waist. She pulled on the hoodie Ryan gave her at the hospital. Exiting the bathroom, she resumed her seat on the end of Ryan's bed silently.

"Hey," Emily spoke so quietly that neither boy could easily hear her.

"Hey," Ryan and Seth said together. Emily could tell instantly that they were talking about her. It didn't really bother her, though. Anyone who was nice enough to take care of her could talk about her. It didn't affect her at all. Just then, there was a knock at the door and Sandy walked into the pool house.

"Hey, kids!" He announced. "Seth, why don't you go help your mother with the dishes?"

"What dishes? We had burgers and fries… there really shouldn't be dishes." Seth began. After receiving a look from his father, he amended, "But of course, you know how those dishes just sneak right up on you… I'll be in the kitchen. Good night!" Ryan and Emily watched as Seth left towards the Cohen house.

"Emily, tomorrow morning we have to go down to the police station to talk to the detectives, ok?" Sandy tried to make his voice soothing and gentle, or at least the least threatening as possible.

Emily merely nodded. She kept her eyes slightly lower than his and chewed on her bottom lip. "You don't have to take off of work or anything. I can go by myself."

"_Wow," _Sandy thought to himself. _"This kid is just like Ryan, not accepting anything given to her without a fight. What is it with these two that they can't just accept that we love and care about them?" _But then he thought about it. And, of course, she doesn't trust her new foster father when her old one raped her.

"No, I want to go." Sandy replied assertively. "How are you holding up?" This had been the most Emily had ever said to Sandy at one time, and he didn't know how far he should push her.

"Good, I guess." Emily sounded unsure of herself. "I mean, great, thanks to you… I mean, without your help and your family, I'd probably still be in Chino tonight. So thank you." When Sandy didn't reply right away, Emily grew embarrassed and her cheeks reddened.

"You're welcome, kid. It's not a problem. If you need anything, we're here for you. I wanna make sure you know that." Sandy was looking forward to getting to know Emily. He had always wanted a daughter and now he had the chance. Not to say he wasn't happy with his family the way it was. But truth be told, Sandy had a savior complex, and he was always up for a challenge. This was great for him.

"Well, I'm going to head up to bed. I'll see you guys in the morning." Sandy left the two of them alone and retreated back to his room.

"I'm exhausted." Ryan started.

"Me too." Emily interrupted. "I think I'm going to go to bed…is that okay?"

Ryan inwardly cringed at how Emily asked permission to do anything and everything. "Yeah, I'm going to do the same."

Ryan sat on the edge of his bed and tucked his baby sister in tightly under the covers. "Goodnight, goodnight, don't let the bed-bugs bite!" Ryan sang to his sister. She smiled. This was what they would say to each other every night before they went to bed when they were little.

"Ry?" Emily asked, once she heard Ryan climb under the covers on his air mattress.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks." She answered.

"You don't have to thank me for that." Ryan started. "Or for anything. I'm your brother, it's my job."

"Well, it's not like I could have called Trey." Ryan's heart stopped. Trey. Did Emily know about Trey? "He's still in prison." Phew. She didn't. But that would be an interesting conversation. And Ryan knew he didn't want to be the one to tell his sister who was just raped that their older brother had practically raped Ryan's girlfriend.

"I love you, Ryan."

"I love you, too, Emily." Closing her eyes, she drifted off to sleep.

That night she didn't sleep too well. Every few hours, she woke up screaming, "Get off of me! Stop! Please don't touch me! I'm sorry! I'll be good!" She kicked and thrashed and waived her arms wildly. It was only until Ryan would call her name and hold her, which he did every time, that she would wake up sobbing.

"I'm sorry." She cried one time after a particularly bad nightmare. "It seems so real…"

Ryan knew what nightmares were like. He knew how real they seemed. "It's okay, kid, I promise. You're okay. You're safe." Ryan soothed her, gently stroking her hair, until she fell asleep. The last time, he fell asleep on his bed with her instead of on the air mattress.

Kirsten walked in a few hours later and almost didn't want to wake the pair up. Emily woke with a start, sensing another presence in the room.

"Oh, sorry, sweetie. But it's time to wake up." Kirsten was way too perky for it being that early. Emily groaned a bit and stretched her arms above her head. "You have to be on your way to talk to the police and Ryan, you have to be going to school. Summer and Marissa are going to be here any minute!"

Having no other clothes to wear, Emily slid her shoes onand wore her sweatpants and oversized t-shirt out of the pool house. She found her way to the kitchen while Ryan took a quick shower and got dressed for school. She was greeted by Sandy, who was in the kitchen making himself a bagel.

"Want a bagel?" Sandy asked.

"Me?" Emily asked.

"Of course, you! They're really good… all you need is the perfect toast and a nice smear of cream cheese…" Sandy began.

"Sure, I guess."

"Great. Here, you can have this one." Sandy was relieved that she was okay. Both Kirsten and Sandy had been up half the night and Sandy noticed that the light in the pool house had been going on and off every few hours. He figured that she wouldn't be able to sleep, but he didn't want to bring it up. The police would push her to the emotional limits today; there was no need for him to do the same thing to her, at least not right now. "Here you go… smeared to perfection."

Emily smiled weakly. This man was trying so hard. _"What did he want from her?"_ She tried to convince herself that Sandy was a good man, as she slipped out of her chair to grab something to drink. She heard the door to the kitchen open and Ryan walked in. He looked tired and almost frazzled a bit.

"I'm sorry I kept you up last night." Emily refused to even look him in the eye.

"It's not your fault." Ryan began, but Emily cut him off.

"Of course it is! I cried all night! If it wasn't for me, you would have been able to sleep!" Emily's voice got softer and softer. "Please say you'll forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive, come here." Ryan pulled her into a hug and gently tousled her hair. The slamming of the door interrupted the tender sibling moment.

"Guys! We told you that we wanted you two waiting outside, like 15 minutes ago! Come on, we're gonna be…" Summer was cut off by the girl she didn't recognize hugging Ryan.

"Chino?" Summer asked, incredulously. "What's going on?"

"Summer. I'd like you to meet Emily." Ryan started. "My sister."

"You got a sister, Chino? I thought it was just you and Trey." Summer was surprised to say the least.

Emily smiled shyly. "Nice to meet you."

Summer extended her hand and gave Emily's a shake. "A pleasure to meet you as well."

Seth came into the kitchen and tenderly kissed Summer. "So, you've met Baby Chino."

"What?" Summer and Emily said together.

"Nothing. You know, we'd better go." Ryan announced. "Oh wait, I forgot my Calculus book. I'll be right back."

"But you didn't eat anything." Emily quickly stepped in front of him. "Let me go get. I'll be right back." Emily stepped out of the house and stared for a moment at the beauty of the California landscape. It did not look like this in Chino. So much was different here: the people, the area, everything. She paused a moment and heard her name come up in conversation. Sneaking back towards the house with skills Seth would have been proud of, Emily began to listen to the three teens talk.

"So, youexcited about your sister being here?" Summer asked Ryan.

"Yeah. I haven't seen her in awhile."

"How old is she?" Summer asked.

"15." He replied.

"I hope this doesn't end up like the last time a sibling of yours came around. That's the last thing we need." Summer replied jokingly, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Hey!" Ryan said with mock-hurt in his voice.

"No, seriously. It's not like you exactly have a great track record with siblings."

Ryan let out a small laugh. It wasn't funny. But, it was true. At least a little bit. Trey had messed things up a lot; and in the process hurt Ryan deeply. But it was different with Emily.**_She_** was the one who washurting. But all Emily heard was the mocking and the unspoken comments.

"_They don't want me here… not even Ryan. I knew it! He couldn't care about someone as worthless as me!"_

Emily found Ryan's calculus book and ripped out a blank page on the front. Quickly scribbling with the closest pencil, she jotted:

_Mr. & Mrs. Cohen, Seth, & Ryan:_

_Thanks so much for letting me stay here overnight and picking me up from the hospital. I won't be causing any further problems. And, as soon as I have money, you will be the first people I pay back. _

_Love Always,_

_Emily Dawn Atwood_

Satisfied except for one thing, she erased her middle name of "Dawn" and ran out the door as fast as she could.

**So… it's changed, but only a bit! I really am sorry for that comment. I'm not good writing Seth. But I do kinda wanna see Ryan beat the crap out of someone…. Tony, perhaps? You'll just have to wait and see!**


	6. Not That Easy

**Here's the next chapter! Hope you like it! What's in store for the Cohens 1 + Emily? Read to find out!**

Ryan glanced out towards the pool house. _What is taking her so long?_ He thought to himself. He took one last bite of his bagel before slipping out the door. Walking quickly, he found his way into the pool house. "Em?" Ryan scanned the room and located his book. "It's right here…" Ryan paused, noticing for the first time a piece of torn paper lying on top of his Calculus book. Holding his breath, he grabbed the paper and read it slowly. His eyes stopped on the "_I won't be causing any further problems."_ He continued reading.

"EMILY!" Ryan ran through the pool house, hoping Emily was still there. Knowing she wasn't, he threw aside his Calculus book and raced back towards the kitchen. By the time he reached his destination, he was out of breath. Summer and Seth were waiting impatiently in the living room and Sandy was waiting, also impatiently, to take Emily to the police station.

"Sandy." Was all Ryan could mutter. He thrust the piece of paper into the man's hands and watched as Sandy's eyes grew wide.

"Oh, no." Sandy's voice was surprisingly calm. "When did you find this? She was in here just a few minutes ago."

"She said she was going to grab something from the pool house. Um, my Calculus book." Sandy nodded. Ryan's voice rose sharply. "And when she didn't come right back, I went to see what was going on."

Answering the unspoken plea for help, Sandy responded, "We're gonna find her, kid. Don't worry."

Seth and Summer heard the commotion and joined the two in the kitchen. By this time, Marissa had come to see what was taking so long. She walked over to Ryan and greeted him with a warm embrace.

"What's going on?" Marissa started. "What's wrong?"

Seth and Summer glanced at Ryan with the same question.

"It's Emily." Ryan started. "She ran away." Ryan handed Seth the note and the girls read over his shoulder.

"Who's Emily?" Marissa asked.

"My sister." Ryan answered. Marissa still looked confused, but Ryan continued. "Long story." Marissa seemed to accept this answer and passively nodded.

"So, what's the plan?" Ryan asked Sandy. This wasn't about anything else except Emily right now. _What made her run off like that?_ Ryan wondered. But, that wasn't important right now. Nothing was important until Emily was safe.

"Well, I think that it would probably be best if you three go to school." Sandy indicated Marissa, Summer, and Seth. "Ryan, you can take my car and start looking. Kirsten's out already, so I'll have her look. And I'll stay here in case she decides to come back here."

"But dad, I really think that I should help look for her. She _is_, after all, practically my new sister." Seth pleaded with his dad.

"Right now, I think it's best if you go to school. And soon, it's getting late."

Marissa moved to the front of Ryan and their lips touched, gently lingering for a few seconds. Ryan felt secure in her arms. It scared him to think that the most secure person right now was Marissa Cooper. It wasn't that he didn't love her, she just wasn't always the most emotionally stable. Marissa pulled away and walked out the door with Summer and Seth.

Sandy tossed Ryan the keys. "If you need me, just call, okay?"

"Yeah." Ryan answered as he left. He climbed into the car and put the key in the ignition.

Back at the house, Sandy picked up the receiver and dialed his wife's number.

"Hello?" Kirsten answered. She was out working for the morning and she sounded like she didn't want to be bothered.

"Hey, Honey. It's me."

"Sandy… Can I call you back. Now is not a good time."

"I'm afraid not." Sandy wasn't sure how he wanted to word this. "Emily ran away."

"WHAT?" Kirsten practically exploded. "She did what?"

"She really is Ryan's sister, I guess." Sandy sighed. "I didn't know how busy you were. I told Ryan that I'd wait here to see if she'd come back and I thought you could drive around a little to look."

"Of course. I'm on my way." Kirsten didn't want to think of Emily alone on the streets, especially after being brutally attacked. Poor kid. "Ryan. Oh, my gosh. Ryan. How is he taking this?"

"Pretty good, I guess. I called him off of school. He took my car and is looking now." Sandy said a quick prayer that Emily was safe.

"Are you sure she ran away? She wasn't abducted or anything, right?" Kirsten asked, frantically.

"I'm pretty sure."

"How can you be so sure?"

"She left a note." Sandy replied. The line was silent.

"What did it say?"

Sandy read from the letter. _"_Thanks so much for letting me stay here overnight and picking me up from the hospital. I won't be causing any further problems. And, as soon as I have money, you will be the first people I pay back."

"Why would she think this was only for a night? We have got to find her. I'll call you if I see her." Kirsten sounded upset.

"Thanks. I love you."

"I love you too."

Sandy hung up the phone. And waited. Waited for the call to say that Emily was okay.

Ryan drove around Newport. He drove past the pier and past the different banquet halls where he had gone to special events with the Cohens. Seeing Emily again had definitely stirred up some old emotions, some feelings he thought he left in Chino. Emily was a big part of his old life, a part he thought he left behind forever. Maybe good things were never meant to last for an Atwood. What if all the problems with his sister led the Cohen's to kick him out? Or kick _her_ out? Kicking her out would leave no other choice left for Ryan other than leaving himself. This could be really bad. With no disposable income, Ryan and Emily would never survive without a family.

Pushing these thoughts out of his head, he tried hard to think logically where his sister could be. She couldn't go very far; she didn't have that much time on Ryan. All of a sudden, Ryan remembered something from when they all lived in Fresno. Emily would run away to the park next door. She would sleep in the tube slides when their dad was drunk. Ryan and Trey would get mad at her when she did this, but it never stopped her. He turned around and drove towards Blue Jay Park. He pulled his car into the parking spot and walked over to the slides. There was nobody around.

He climbed the wobbly rope ladder and found his baby sister curled up in the top of the slide. She wasn't sleeping, but her back was turned towards Ryan.

"So, this slide's taken?" Ryan's voice was serious and very stern. Emily jumped and propelled herself down the slide, taking off running as soon as she reached the bottom.

Ryan was quicker, though, as he jumped off the rope ladder and fell onto his hands and knees in the wood chips. He ran after her. She couldn't run very fast, and soon was doubled over in pain. She had injured her ribs in the attack, and running was not what the doctor ordered.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ryan was angry with her. She left the Cohens. She just blew off the people who were trying to help her. Emily didn't respond. She looked Ryan directly in the eyes, challenging him. "You are just like mom." His words felt like a knife in her heart. "Just take off when things get hard, right? Never stick around. Never _care_ enough to stick around. Is that how it is with you?"

"What? Like you're not happy I left?" Emily's voice shook, even though she willed it not to. Her brother's words hurt. Their mom had not only allowed her husband and boyfriends to use her kids as personal punching bags, she enjoyed the liberty herself. She abandoned Ryan, and then Emily, and has never contacted either of them for years. The words definitely stung.

"What does that supposed to mean?" Ryan didn't take her accusation very well.

"I know the truth." Emily stated factually.

"Really? Please. Tell me the truth, then." Ryan tried to soften his voice.

"I heard what you said to Summer and Seth. You don't want me there. You don't want me to stay with you." Emily's resolve diminished and she averted her gaze. "So I left." The last part was barely audible.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Ryan approached Emily. They had been keeping a safe distance apart, but now he needed to be closer to her.

"Of course you do! Summer said that the last thing they needed was a sibling of yours to be around." Emily's energy was drained, and she didn't speak with nearly as much energy as she had planned.

"That's not what she meant." Ryan's voice softened. This was something they needed to talk about. Trey. But not right now. "Please. Just come back to the Cohens' with me. We can figure all this out there."

"No."

"No?" Ryan answered. When it was clear that Emily wasn't going to answer, he pressed on. "Why not?"

"You found my note."

"And?"

"_And_ they probably were relieved that I won't be staying there anymore."

"Actually, they were upset. And worried. More worried, actually. Sandy and Kirsten are both out looking." Ryan informed her.

"Oh, no. They didn't have to do that."

"They wanted to. They really care about you."

Emily didn't understand the Cohens sometimes. "Won't they be mad if I come back? Like, mad at me for running away?"

"They'll be relieved that you're okay." Ryan understood the unasked question. "And they won't hurt you. They're not going to hit you. I promise."

Emily looked relieved. "I guess…"

"So, you're coming back home."

"Sure." Emily paused. "If that's okay with you…"

"Emily… I don't know why you think I don't want you there. Come on, let's go home."

Emily smiled up at him. He relaxed his arms around her shoulders. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the Cohen's number.

Sandy picked it up on the first ring. "Hello?"

"Sandy? It's Ryan."

"Ryan. Did you find her?"

"Yeah. We're on our way home."

"Thank goodness! I was worried sick. Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine." Emily blushed self-consciously. Ryan hung up the phone as the reached the car. Emily hopped in the passenger seat and buckled her seatbelt.

"I'm sorry." Emily started. Ryan glanced at her. "You know, for running away. It was stupid."

"Yes, it was." Ryan didn't want to be too hard on her, but she had to know that running wasn't the answer.

"I was just… afraid. Of talking to the police, of the Cohens…" She added meekly, "Of you."

Ryan tore his eyes off the road to make eye contact for a split second. "You **never** have to be afraid of me." Emily nodded.

"I know." She wasn't sure what she believed. She rested her head on the window and soon they were back at the Cohens. Sandy ran out to greet the pair and ushered them quickly into the living room.

"Thank goodness you're okay." Sandy announced. Emily just stole uneasy glances at him. "But, kid, you can't run away like that. If something's wrong, or bothering you, talk to someone. You can come to me, Kirsten, Ryan, even Seth. You don't have to do this alone. We're not that easy to get rid of."

Emily smiled, feeling a bit secure for the first time. She never had a father who cared enough to lecture her. All her "fathers" either didn't notice when she was gone, or beat her when she returned. She could get used to this.

**TBC...**

**Please Review! Thanks!**


	7. Not Just Ryan's Sister

**Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long (3 months… oops!) since I updated this story. I've been really busy…**

**So… I don't own The O.C. unfortunately, nor am I making any money off of this. Enjoy this story, everyone! Please review! Feedback is always appreciated!**

Emily was so relieved that Ryan still wanted her around. That was what she was most afraid of. It didn't matter what anyone else thought… if Ryan decided she didn't belong there, she would leave.

After her little escapade, Emily was really hungry. Sandy went to the kitchen to prepare his world famous grilled cheese sandwiches. Emily and Ryan turned on the television. While they were in the middle of mocking some random daytime soap opera, Kirsten stormed through the door.

"Emily!" She exclaimed. "You're okay! Thank goodness!" She walked up to the teen and wrapped her arms around her in an awkward hug.

"I'm really sorry…" She started quietly. "You didn't have to take time out of your day to look for me…"

"Running away is never okay… but I _didn't_ have to leave work, sweetie. I wanted to." Emily looked up at Ryan, unsure of what to do or how to react.

Ryan threw his arm around her. "See, Em? It's gonna be fine. He leaned over and kissed her gently on the head."

"Sandy? Tell me your not making grilled cheese." Kirsten announced.

"Is that a problem?"

"Only if I don't get one." Kirsten smiled.

The four of them…two Cohens and two Atwoods… sat down and enjoyed a nice meal.

As soon as they were all done eating, Kirsten had to go back to work. Sandy walked over to where Emily and Ryan resumed watching television. "Emily?" Sandy called.

Emily looked up. "Yes?"

"We still have to go down to the police station." Sandy reminded gently.

Emily's face fell. "Yes, sir." She replied, clearly dejected.

"I can take her," Ryan suggested. Emily looked up at Ryan, and then Sandy, and then back to Ryan again.

"That's probably not the best idea." Sandy saw Emily's face fall again. There were many reasons for this decision. "You have homework to catch up on. I don't know how long this is going to take." That was one reason. The other was that Sandy was planning on trying to talk to Emily a little bit. Alone. He didn't want to scare her, he just realized that when Ryan and Emily were together, Emily let Ryan do all the talking for her. If they were going to make this living arrangement work and be pleasant, it was kind of necessary for Emily to build a relationship, slight though it may be, with Sandy and Kirsten.

"Ready?" He asked.

Emily just nodded and followed Sandy out to the Range Rover.

The car ride was dead silent. Sandy's plan was not working out quite as well as he had hoped it would.

"Are you okay?" Sandy finally asked.

"Yes, sir." Emily answered.

"Ya know, kiddo, you don't have to call me 'sir' all the time." He said with a smile.

Emily blushed. "I'm sorry."

"And you don't have to apologize for everything." Sandy took his eyes off the road and looked at her for a brief moment. "We love you and we want you here."

"_What?_" Emily's voice was meek all of a sudden.

Sandy looked over at her, a confused look on his face.

"Did you say you guys _loved_ me?"

"Of course, kiddo." Sandy laughed. He reached over to tousle her hair. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Emily sighed. "It's just… nobody's ever said that to me…well, except for Ryan."

Sandy's heart broke for her. He probably couldn't count the number of times he's said "I love you" to Seth even if he spent the next 50 years trying. He couldn't believe that nobody had told her that. "Well, don't worry. You'll be hearing a lot of that from now on." Sandy quickly recovered. Looking back, he decided that that brief moment in the car was the moment he finally accepted Emily as a daughter, and not just "Ryan's sister."

The rest of the ride to the police station went by really quickly. It wasn't too far away. When they got there, Emily grew quieter and quieter. By the time they had met up with the detectives, she was completely silent. When a large man wearing a uniform came to lead Emily to the interrogation room, she quickly grabbed Sandy's hand, terrified.

"It's going to be okay, Emily." Sandy said, practically beaming that Emily trusted him enough to turn to him when she was afraid. "I can't go in with you, but I'll be waiting for you when you're done."

She turned to him, her eyes big and sad, and just nodded. She let the police officer lead her away wordlessly.

About an hour later, Emily emerged from the interrogation room, expecting to find Sandy gone. She didn't think he'd wait that long for her. Her eyes were puffy and swollen from crying. When she saw Sandy come from around a corner, a combination of raw emotion from the interview and relief to see him washed over her and she started to sob uncontrollably. She brought her hands shaking to her face, and felt two strong arms wrap around her. Sandy rocked Emily until she cried every last tear. Physically exhausted, she let him lead her to the car.

Before they left, an officer came up to them. "Thank you, Mr. Cohen. We have her statement, and we picked up Tony Browne. This is what's left of Emily's things after we took the evidence needed."

Taking the bag from him, Sandy replied, "Thank you."

"We'll give you a call when… or if… we need Emily's testimony in front of the grand jury."

"Of course. Thanks again. Can I take her back home?"

"That should be fine. Here's my card if she remembers anything else."

When the two had reached the car, Sandy handed Emily the bag. She held the faded canvas close to her the whole ride back to the Cohens.

Ryan was still sitting in front of the television when Emily and Sandy returned to the house, only now Seth was seated next to him and the daytime soap opera was replaced with a video game.

"Hey guys." Ryan greeted, concentrating on the game more than his sister and foster father.

"Hey, Ry." Emily greeted.

"You ok?" Ryan immediately paused the game, which elicited an angry grunt from Seth.

"Why'd you do that?"

"Just tired." Emily confessed. Ryan could tell she was crying. And he knew why. She didn't have to verbalize it.

All of a sudden remembering what had happened, Seth got up. "Emily, good to have you back! Where did you go?"

"The park." Emily sighed.

"Emmy… mind if I call you Emmy?" Seth began like a big production was taking place.

Emily shook her head.

"Emmy. Well, you, my dear little sister." Seth enjoyed saying that. "Are a whole lot like your older brother, Ryan, here." Emily smiled. She knew he was just messing around. "Sure, you may look alike, but the similarities run much deeper. You both have an unquenchable need to randomly take off."

Emily laughed slightly. Ryan gave Seth a look. He was walking on thin ice. Seth didn't understand why Ryan took off sometimes… mainly because Seth never had any reason to run away. His dad never beat him. His mom never brought home boyfriends who would drink and do coke. He never had foster parents who would rape him. Well, neither had Ryan for the latter, but Emily did.

Ryan let his gaze linger on what Emily had gingerly placed next to the door leading to the pool house. A backpack. With, what Ryan assumed, was all of Emily's belongings. He sighed for a moment. Ryan had been placed in foster care when he was younger, from about the ages of 7 – 8. So were Emily and Trey. That was right after his dad was thrown in jail. Ryan remembered it. Well. He remembered having only one bag to put all your stuff in. He remembered being tossed from home to home. Sometimes, there were so many kids and not enough food. Sometimes, the parents would hit you or spank you. Sometimes, the older kids were worse than the parents. Ryan hated the fact that while he was living an amazing life with the Cohens the past couple of years, Emily was going through that hell.

Seth could never understand. Ryan would never want him to.

**Sorry it took so long…. FEEDBACK… please? Even though I've been a bad author.**


	8. I'll Beat Your Ass

**Disclaimer: I do not own The O.C. nor am I making any money off of this! Please read and review because feedback is always appreciated! Thanks in advance.**

Emily yawned. She was really tired after running away, and then having to go down to the police station. "I think I'm gonna go to bed." She announced quietly, to no one in particular.

"It's only like 6:30." Ryan replied. He and Seth had started playing their video game again.

"That late, huh?" Emily responded. She knew Ryan was being sarcastic. And she could match his sarcasm no problem. But, it really was only 6:30 p.m.

"Don't you want any dinner?" Kirsten asked, from the kitchen. She was eavesdropping on their conversation.

"No, thanks. I'm not very hungry." Emily replied. And she wasn't. She was so emotionally drained from everything that happened, she really wasn't in the mood to eat.

"Are you sure?" Sandy chimed in.

"Yeah." Emily stood up. She grabbed her canvas bag and made her way towards the door. "Goodnight, everyone."

In the middle of a video battle, Ryan paused the game, which elicited an angry, "Why'd ya do that?" from Seth.

Silently, Ryan made his way towards the door.

"Where're you going?" Sandy asked, seconds before he was safely out of the door.

"To make sure she's okay." Ryan replied. He knew she wasn't.

"I'm coming with."

Ryan shot him a look. "It's okay. I got it."

But Sandy matched his look and followed him out to the pool house.

"What was _that_ all about?" Seth asked his mom as soon as Ryan and Sandy had left.

"What was what all about?"

"Dad… Ryan… Emily?" Seth was just very lost.

"Oh, Dad got Emily a meeting with Dr. Kim tomorrow morning." Seth shot her a puzzled look. "To discuss admittance to Harbor."

Seth nodded. "Ah, yes… because everyone wants to go to Harbor. It's such a great school, isn't it?"

"That's enough!" Kirsten raised her voice a little. Sometimes, Seth seemed so ungrateful, even though he _was_ just joking around. Seeing how Emily and Ryan lived in Chino really made Kirsten aware of all that she had and all that she was able to give to Seth. Some people… a lot of people… were not that lucky.

Outside, Sandy and Ryan were just approaching the pool house. Through the clear glass doors they saw Emily sitting in the middle of the bed. She had barely taken off her shoes and gotten comfortable when the two men entered.

"Hey, Emily." Sandy greeted upon entering.

All of a sudden, Emily got a really bad feeling. She gulped. Ryan sat down on the bed. He didn't know why Sandy had come out, either, and was interested in finding out the details.

"What's up?" She tried to sound nonchalant, but Ryan could see through it. He tried to meet her gaze, but she refused to look at him.

"Well, since you'll be staying here," Sandy paused and Emily breathed a sigh of relief. At least they weren't kicking her out. "We're going to need to start you in school. You're 15… so that means you're what? A freshman?"

"Um… sophomore." She corrected.

"Okay, sophomore. Well, I've set up an appointment at Harbor tomorrow morning. I can't go, but Kirsten is going to take you."

"Harbor?" Emily questioned.

"That's the high school. Ryan and Seth are seniors there." Sandy explained. Emily looked doubtful for a moment. "Don't worry, it's a good school."

Emily tried to give Sandy a small smile. "Okay. What time?"

"9:30."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome, kiddo." Sandy took the hint from Ryan's expression that it was time for him to leave. "Well, I'm going to help finish dinner. Are you sure you don't want any?"

"Positive." Emily laughed. "Goodnight." She paused a second before adding, "Sandy."

Beaming, Sandy waved his final "Goodnights" and left for the main house.

"Did I ever thank you for coming to get me, Ry?" Emily asked as soon as Sandy left the pool house.

"Only about a thousand times."

"Well, Thanks. Again. For the thousand and first time." Emily continued, even though Ryan tried to stop her. "Seriously… your foster parents are great. I've never actually… felt safe, ya know?" She threw her arms around Ryan. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Ryan replied. Soon after he let her go, she sunk back onto the bed.

"So… what's wrong?" Emily asked. "I can tell when there's something wrong… and something is definitely not right."

"Nothing's wrong." Ryan paused, catching her eye for the first time. "I just came out here to make sure _you_ were okay."

"Thanks." Emily sighed. "I'll be okay. I'm just… overwhelmed." Her eyes grew dark. "It was like… being raped all over again. Answering all those questions was like reliving it…"

"I'm sorry, Em…"

"It's okay." She started. "So… what goes on in these appointment thingies?"

"Well, I had to take a test."

"A test?"

"Yeah… to make sure I was 'prepared' enough."

"What kind of school is this? I thought public schools had to take everyone…" Emily questioned.

"They do. Harbor's not a public school."

"It's not?" Emily asked. "So what is it? Like some preppy private school?"

Ryan laughed, thinking how insightful his sister was. "Basically."

"But isn't that really expensive?" Emily didn't wait for an answer. "I'd be fine in a public school… I mean, it'd be way better than the schools in Chino and I survived there."

"The Cohens don't mind. They want you to go there." Ryan wished she'd give it up and just accept this.

"Or… they just feel guilty for the poor charity case from Chino..." Emily stopped after getting a rather parentally scolding look from her brother. She chewed her bottom lip. "So… this test. Is it hard? I mean… I probably won't pass it anyway…" Emily's voice portrayed the typical "playing dumb" female.

"It was okay…" Ryan could see where this was going. "Emily, you're plenty smart. Don't you dare fail it on purpose…"

"Who, me?" Emily asked innocently.

Just then, Seth barged in. "Dinner's ready, guys."

Seth turned to leave, so Ryan continued. "I swear, Em, you do that and I'll beat your ass!" Half-joking, half-serious, Ryan shot her a death look. Emily grabbed a pillow from Ryan's bed and launched it at him. She couldn't help but laugh.

Seth turned around and glared at Ryan. "Are you coming, Emily?"

"Nope. I'm going to bed. Goodnight, Seth." Ryan gave her a mock-hurt look. "And goodnight, Ryan."

"Goodnight." Seth and Ryan said at the same time.

As soon as the pair exited the pool house, Seth turned to him. "You _were_ kidding back in there, right?"

"Oh, what I said to my sister?" Seth nodded. "Of course, man. You don't really think I'd hit her, do you?"

"No…" Seth admitted. "But… you said she was just… raped, right? You really think you should be joking around with her like that… so soon?" Ryan had to admit, he was impressed at how protective Seth was of his sister already.

"Yeah. Trust me… she knows I'm the last person who'd ever lay a hand on her." Ryan's voice sounded knowing. Seth was afraid to ask any details. "But, Seth." Ryan's voice was warning, now. "I don't think you should joke with her like that… because she'll probably think you're serious."

"Maybe I'll do that if I need a little ego boost…" Seth barely held back a laugh.

"No. Seriously, Seth." Ryan stopped walking, which forced Seth to stop as well. His eyes conveyed an extremely solemn look. "She's been hit by too many guys in her life… she **won't** find it funny."

"Okay, man." Seth lifted his hands in surrender. "I was just kidding though. What did you say that to her for, anyway?"

Ryan lowered his voice. "She was considering blowing the entrance exam to Harbor…"

"Why would she do that?"

"Because she doesn't want your parents to pay for her to go there." Ryan admitted.

"That's crazy." Seth was shocked she would even consider such a thing!

"I know."

"Are you going to tell my parents?" Seth asked.

Ryan paused. "No. Come on, let's eat." He opened the door and sat down in his usual seat.

"Emily's not coming?" Sandy asked. Seth glanced at Ryan.

"Nope, she's resting for her big day tomorrow."

**TBC! Please review….**


End file.
